Hospital systems in latin america: transformation and change, 1960s–2020s

Abstract

Emerging economies have not received as much attention as the more developed Western economies in the scientific historical analysis of their health systems. This chapter contributes new knowledge that can help fill the numerous gaps in our understanding of the historical evolution of Latin American health indicators and compares these indicators with those of other regions. The chapter sets out one of the first historical series on the number of hospital beds, physicians, and nurses per inhabitant for the entire region of Latin America over six decades. The findings, despite the limitations stemming from the sources and the criteria with which data were collected in each country, provide one of the first historically grounded comparative and comprehensive overviews, including country-specific insights not previously available. The chapter also identifies a chronology of the key periods of change in these long-term indicators with respect to the evolution of healthcare systems in the region.